Sandiganbayan allows Arroyo to attend brother’s wake

By: Yuji Vincent Gonzales - 9 years ago

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Sandiganbayan allowed former President and incumbent Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to attend the wake of her late brother Arturo Macapagal.

In a text message to INQUIRER.net, Arroyo’s lawyer Lawrence Arroyo (no relation) said the anti-graft court in a two-page resolution permitted his client to attend Macapagal’s wake today until Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Arroyo on Tuesday morning asked the Sandiganbayan to attend the Mass at Heritage Park in Taguig City at 2 p.m. and stay until 10 p.m. today.

READ: Arroyo seeks furlough to attend brother’s wake, burial

The former president also sought to attend his brother’s burial on Saturday, but the Sandiganbayan will release a separate decision on the matter.

Arroyo will shoulder travel costs.

Sandiganbayan ruled that media interviews and electronic devices will not be allowed throughout Arroyo’s stay outside the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, where she is under hospital arrest for a plunder case.

The Philippine National Police was also tasked by Sandiganbayan for Arroyo’s security.

Arroyo’s brother passed away at 6:40 a.m. Tuesday at the Makati Medical Center after battling stage 4 prostate cancer. Arroyo was previously granted by Sandiganbayan a five-hour furlough to visit Macapagal on Tuesday. With a report by Erwin Aguilon and Dona Dominguez-Cargullo/TVJ